The present invention relates generally to clothes or garment hangers, and is particularly concerned with clothes hangers which can be collapsed when not in use.
Clothes hangers typically comprise a suspending member or hook for suspending the hangers from a suitable support bar or closet rod, and a pair of angled arms extending in opposite directions from the hook over which the shoulders of a garment can be engaged to suspend the garment from the hanger in a generally upright orientation for storage, so as to reduce the risk of creasing. Hangers also often include a transverse arm connecting the free ends of the angled arms to form a support for garments such as trousers, and may have hooks or notches for engaging loops on garments such as skirts. Such hangers are relatively wide and are therefore not convenient for carrying around in a purse, suitcase or the like. However, when traveling or when needing to change clothes while away from home, there is often a need to have one or more extra clothes hangers available for use. For example, hotels often provide insufficient hangers for their visitors use, and if visiting friends extra hangers may not be available.
For these reasons, collapsible hangers have been proposed in the past which are collapsible or foldable into a relatively compact unit for storage or transportation, and which can be opened out when needed for use. However, there are some problems with these hangers in providing sufficient support for relatively heavy clothing without inadvertent collapsing of the hanger structure.